Nissan Unviels ZEOD RC, The Worlds Fastest Electric Car

Based on the revolutionary DeltaWing raced at Le Mans last year, it features lithium battery technology like that used on pioneering road cars. With its two tiny front wheels and rocket-like low-drag shape, Nissan reckon it will pull more than 190mph on the long straights of the French circuit.

ZEOD RC stands for Zero Emission On Demand Racing Car. The idea is to spend a year testing it with various drivetrain combinations of electric and conventional petrol power, with drivers able to flick between the two.

Nissan insist it will form the basis of the Japanese company’s long-term ambition to challenge for overall victory at Le Mans. Spokesman Andy Palmer said: “We are global leaders in the sale of all-electric cars and we’re eagerly awaiting the opportunity to showcase the lessons learned with battery technology in the world’s oldest, toughest and most high-profile endurance race.”

The ZEOD was designed by maverick Brit Ben Bowlby, the man behind the DeltaWing. It will race in the special Le Mans slot reserved for innovative technology, dubbed Garage 56. This year the place was due to have been taken by a hydrogen-electric prototype known as the GreenGT H2.

Project bosses ran out of time to properly prepare the car for the gruelling race, so there will be no added excitement around Garage 56. But boosted by the unveiling of the ZEOD, the vivid memory of the DeltaWing’s challenge in 2012 is still echoing around the Le Mans grandstands.

The matt black machine, dubbed the Batmobile and driven by Marino Franchitti, Michael Krumm and Satoshi Motoyama, captured the imagination of 250,000 fans before being cruelly punted into the barriers by a passing Toyota at the six-hour mark.

Thanks to our friends at Nissan’s video arm Nismo TV, SunSport can bring you a fantastic film of how it was created before being raced in the 24 Hours. It’s the perfect way to whet your appetite for this weekend’s epic Le Mans action.